14 Songs You Need In Your Life This Week

Tracks we love right now, and why they matter. In no particular order.

Rich Gang existed before Quan and Thugger, and you'd be smart to assume it'll exist after them as well. Birdman makes Rich Gang whatever he wants, but it was at its best and most recognizable off the drunken duets these two bizarre singing rappers stitch together. They'll keep rapping on the same songs, of course, and tracks like "My Homie"—loud, nasal, blundering, and under the influence—will keep fluttering out to the streets. Who cares how it's tagged on iTunes? — Matthew Trammell

1. Rich Homie Quan & Young Thug, "My Homie"

2. Lunchmoney Lewis, "Bills"

On "Bills," Lunchmoney Lewis—a rising star in Dr. Luke's stable of songwriters and the guy who sings the "pat da pom pom" part on Nicki's "Trini Dem Girls"—makes his financial struggles sound like a cakewalk with a wash of ragtime realness. Promise, this will be on your mom's playlists come June. — Zara Golden

2. Lunchmoney Lewis, "Bills"

3. Eartheater, "Homonyms"

Through an unmarked door on an ice-lined street, a tall woman with a red guitar stood on a stage and issued missives from an alternative universe this past Thursday. I was new to NYC artist Eartheater, but her vision was so total that it was impossible not to get swept up in it. She coaxed intricate rhythms from her instrument, curled her lips round aerobatic lyrical arrangements, and looped her vibrations through a pedal at her feet. In her hands, the electric elements felt earthly, and the "natural" felt galactic. Have a listen to "Homonyms," from her just-released debut album, Metalepsis, and you'll see what I mean. — Ruth Saxelby

3. Eartheater, "Homonyms"

4. Cuushe, "Tie"

For a sad split-second I almost forgot about Cuushe, the angel-voiced Japanese songwriter whose 2013 Butterfly Case album is easily one of the prettiest dream pop records of the decade so far. Thank god that "Tie," the first song on the new EP she announced this week, is just as purifying. It features production help from returning co-conspirator aus, whose stacked arrangements are detail-oriented but also very elemental; the feeling "Tie" produces in my chest is so simple and familiar I could cry. — Patrick D. McDermott

4. Cuushe, "Tie"

5. Florence + the Machine, "What Kind of Man (Nicolas Jaar Remix)"

Nico Jaar showed what he could do with elegant, ear-filling melody in last year's timely DJ Slugo collab "Ghetto," and over twelve patient minutes he similarly stuffs Flo's latest anthem with ear-pleasing synths and plenty of twisty rhythmic turns, yet again proving his mettle as one of electronic music's most fascinating artists of the moment. — Larry Fitzmaurice

5. Florence + the Machine, "What Kind of Man (Nicolas Jaar Remix)"

6. The Empire Cast, “Drip Drop”

Even if you aren't one of the some 14 million people who tuned-in to Fox's Empire this week, you might've heard this song. For the uninitiated: "Drip Drop" is the "smash hit" that is supposed to make Empire Records heir Hakeem (aka Yazz) a famous rapper; when his father cuts him a million-dollar check to make a video, he says, "I don't wanna win this game. I wanna change it." In reality, "Drip Drop" a blippy and clichéd radio rap song dreamed up by producers Beanz and Justin Bostwick, and it's pretty slight. But it's not like we're not gonna be channelling our inner Cookie when this comes on at the bar this weekend. — Zara Golden

6. The Empire Cast, “Drip Drop”

7. Merv King and the Phantoms, "So Stressed"

Perfect Pussy's Meredith Graves started her own label and this is the first band that's putting something out on it. "So Stressed" is a good song because it's loud and when I hear it my blood boils a little and I think about breaking things, even though I am a pretty chill guy! Maybe I can pay someone to break something for me while I listen to this song. — Larry Fitzmaurice

7. Merv King and the Phantoms, "So Stressed"

8. Helana Hauff, “The First Time He Thought, He Died”

Helana Hauff is a Hamburg-based producer known for her affiliation with her city's experimental haven, the Golden Pudel. She's got an EP called Lex Tertia forthcoming on Actress' label Werkdiscs, and "The First Time He Thought, He Died" is the fantastic lead single. It's properly hypnotizing, dread-inducing electro, fit with dub shrapnel and booming analog drums. There are probably thousands of clubs called "The Bunker" in the world, and I like to imagine they'll all be playing this song this weekend. — Alexander Iadarola

8. Helana Hauff, “The First Time He Thought, He Died”

9. Lindstrøm f. Grace Hall, "Home Tonight (Extended Version)"

Hans-Peter Lindstrøm is a man of many sonic moods, but the Norwegian producer is arguably best when wielding tons of spinning keyboards and an easy-shaking beat over an insane running time. And, hey, that's exactly what this collaboration with vocalist Grace Hall is! The nine-minute tune's got an easy build, but when those vamping keys come in at the six-minute mark, you'll be seeing stars. — Larry Fitzmaurice

9. Lindstrøm f. Grace Hall, "Home Tonight (Extended Version)"

10. Björk, “NotGet (Lotic Remix)”

The original "NotGet" was already pretty head-spinning; the collaborative production work pads Björk's big, devastated vocal moments with symphonic flourishes and Arca's signature rhythmic hiccups. This Lotic version (at ~ 47:40 in the mix above) is way less structured, and floats almost aimlessly through the sorts of gritty sonic spaces that the Berlin-based producer is known for inhabiting. Without love I feel the abyss, the song goes, conjuring images of a lonely, cavernous nothingness. In Lotic's hands, that abyss seems extra ominous. —Patrick D. McDermott

10. Björk, “NotGet (Lotic Remix)”

11. Jessie Ware, "Champagne Kisses (TCTS Remix)"

"Champagne Kisses" wasn't my favorite song from Jessie Ware's sophomore bow Tough Love (that'd go to "Kind Of...Sometimes...Maybe"), but it might get a second chance at first in the form of this knackering remix from TCTS, the Manchester producer whose "Coupe De Ville" has practically melted the snow off of my doorstep. He brings similar house fire here, with a high BPM that drudges up feelings of pure and absolute ecstasy. — Larry Fitzmaurice

I've been listening to Røyksopp's final album, last year's The Inevitable End, nonstop—so when I heard this song from the former Unicorns and Islands guy's forthcoming solo album City of Quartz, I figured I was still jamming on those European chillout gods' candy-cloud creations. This is a new look for Diamonds, who's done everything from overstuffed micro-prog to spare singer/songwriter material in the last few years—and it has me excited to hear what else he has up his sleeve this time around. — Larry Fitzmaurice

12. Nick Diamonds, "The Sting"

13. HIGHLIFE, "Wind Chill"

HIGHLIFE is the stage name of Sleepy Doug Shaw, a sometime touring musician for the likes of Gang Gang Dance, and this solo project is a breath of fresh air. On one hand he has guitar odes to lighting one up with friends, and on the other, he has taut laptop instrumentals that call out to London and Chicago. His most recent Soundcloud drop is "Wind Chill" and it's of the latter category, sending hi-hats skating through winding corridors of muffled drums. It's just the thing for seeing you through these last dying breaths of February. — Ruth Saxelby

13. HIGHLIFE, "Wind Chill"

14. Death Cab For Cutie, "No Room In Frame"

What the fuck is Kintsugi? I'm too lazy to Google the etymology, but I do know that it's the name of Death Cab For Cutie's new album, which I was previously worried about: Codes and Keys was a low point for the band, a slice of marital bliss that doubled as the literal sound of settling. Of course, the dream is over for Ben Gibbard, and this beautiful single from the new one seemingly straight-up acknowledges his failed relationship with Zooey Deschanel: When I was in your way when the cameras turned to face you/ No room in frame for two. Damn. — Larry Fitzmaurice